


Old Wounds Stitched Anew

by theprincessed



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Canon Compliant, Future Fic, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Medical Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 10:14:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6150277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprincessed/pseuds/theprincessed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robert is rushed to hospital whilst out on a morning run.</p><p>Post-recovery, Aaron makes him feel better. Eventually.</p><p>(aka Robert gets hurt and then there's sex!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old Wounds Stitched Anew

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to be another PWP, but its so specifically self-indulgent instead. I wanted Robert hurt (again. I'm sensing a pattern. What's the matter with me?!), flirty banter and smut and that's vaguely what I wrote. In fact, I couldn't shut them up during the smut, emotions an' all! Sorry about that. Also, the ending...lol. Lame.
> 
> Hope you enjoy anyway! x

With bright blue, clear skies and the bitter cold turning fresh, Spring has finally arrived in the village. Along with the weather comes Bob's customers sitting outside for their coffees and lunch and Andy up to his neck in lambing season whilst Aaron and Adam take on bigger projects at the scrapyard. For Robert, it's a time to dust off his trainers and get back out there. Spending the winter in suits and cosy coats, eating the Woolpack grub indoors has probably done him very few favours over the last couple of months, so this morning he decides to take action.

He's sitting on his side of the bed to pull his socks on when he feels movement behind him as Aaron slowly stirs awake. Robert presses his lips together to hide his smile. It's rare but always lovely when Aaron feels comfortable enough to sleep in, instead of getting up at the crack of dawn to mainline coffee because he can't settle.

“Wha's goin'on?” he croaks groggily.

Robert turns, his foot resting on his thigh so he can tie his shoelace and face him at the same time. “I'm going for a run.” he declares proudly.

Aaron looks anything but impressed at his man's commitment to stay in shape and frowns as he stretches luxuriously in bed. “But you asked me to stay over,”

“Don't worry, I will be back.” Robert grins. He stands and leans over Aaron's body, covered modestly up to his chest in the rumpled sheets. “I'm not just gonna leave you here and sneak off for a few pints by myself. Who knows where you could snoop.”

“Listen, this maybe your new place, but your stuff ain't worth it, mate.” he yawns, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.

Robert watches indulgently as he stretches again, his back arching and a satisfied moan falling from his lips. His beard is trimmed neat and there's colour in his face. He looks healthy and calm, maybe even _happy_. The giddy feeling that he's had a part to play in helping Aaron build himself back up starts to take over until Aaron blinks up at him and Robert's eyes narrow, instantly suspicious.

“No, no, stop it,” he shakes his head, pointing as Aaron slides his arm underneath the sheets to casually scratch at his stomach, the movement deliberately revealing all of his bare torso. The curtains are still closed, but he looks golden already. “You're not playing fair.”

“Funny I learnt how to do that, innit?”

Robert feels the muscle in his jaw jump as he grits his teeth and makes sure his hand is steady on the headboard before he darts in for a quick hard kiss. “I'll be half an hour, tops. And you better still be naked in my bed or there'll be trouble.”

Aaron rolls his eyes to play along, but fails to remember that Robert can see his cheeky face in the mirror when he turns to leave. Hmm, that mirror could be handy for when he returns...

Free from the wiles of his boyfriend, Robert makes sure he has his keys in the pocket of his jogging bottoms and pulls the zip on his blue hoodie up to his chin. Cutting down on the time spent on his run will just have to mean he'll get properly sweaty when he gets back.

Running through the village to head for the paths along the surrounding fields, Robert barely sees anyone else and feels a little smug. It's the weekend, so is much too early for some as he jogs past David's shop and the pub, both of which aren't open. He's hardly surprised with Carly being in charge again whilst David's away and he can't say a word against the Woolpack. He contemplates taking a detour to drop in on Diane to check on her or to wind Chas up (jokingly these days), maybe even nick a bacon sarnie for afterwards, when he feels a sharp twinge in his chest. His steps falter as he brings his hand up to his left side with a grimace, but he shakes it off and carries on, mourning the loss of his food idea to return to Aaron faster instead with a glance at his fancy watch. The fields can wait another day.

He must pick up the pace without taking care, his mind drifting into thoughts of his latest business venture, because the same discomfort stabs at his chest again, stealing his breath and not giving it back. Coming up to Smithy Cottage, Robert stumbles and doubles over, struggling for air. It's as if his lungs are constricting smaller and smaller the more he tries to fight it, coughing to find the barest hint of oxygen. With his hands on his knees, he vaguely hears a door open and footsteps crunch on the ground. If he wasn't secretly panicking and desperately trying not to show it, he'd roll his eyes as he hears Paddy call to him. Things are better now, for all of them, but they still aren't best buds. He's too easy for Robert to rile. 

“Robert? Is everything alright?” he shouts for a second time and Robert looks to see him standing outside the vets surgery, by his car with bag in hand.

He waves him away because he can't speak, fingers scrambling to his throat to undo the zip on his hoodie to try and relieve the pressure. He pats his pockets to look for his phone, to call someone - 999, Aaron, anyone - before it dawns him that he left it behind. _Shit_.

His vision starts to go fuzzy at the edges and that's when he knows this isn't just him being surprisingly unfit. Part of him is supremely embarrassed that that's what Paddy's is going to think of him as he tips forward and hits the ground face first. Sliding away from consciousness, he dimly sees Paddy's boots reach him and Pearl's accompanying shriek before his eyes fall shut.

\---

Robert wakes blearily to the sound of doors banging open, an oxygen mask over his face and his cheek throbbing. Aaron rushes in with a face like thunder and Robert raises his eyebrows because wow, he must've been worried to look that pissed off. It's only then that he sees someone jump to their feet from the chair beside his hospital bed and things get more surprising as he sees that it's Paddy. He gives an awkward smile to him then a hovering Aaron.

“I've left Pearl in my car. Thought it best, y'know, with how she can be. I'll – er – leave you to it.” he takes a step before looking over his shoulder. “Glad you're alright, Robert.” he adds softly.

He and Aaron watch him leave and Robert reaches up to lower the oxygen mask to crow about how weirdly _nice_ he was when his eyes land on a small figure waiting outside the room. Paddy exits and they scuttle in.

“What's _she_ doin' here?” he asks immediately, voice muffled by the mask he decides to keep in place. His breathing still doesn't feel quite right, but he's also going for the sympathy vote.

Aaron simply huffs, ignoring the attempt. “I couldn't exactly leave her at yours, could I?” He takes Paddy's place, but doesn't sit down. “I forgot I promised Liv she could visit today. Sandra dropped her off at the pub, so me mum told her where I was. She'd just got to me when Paddy rang to tell me about you.”

“Had a heart attack, did ya?” Liv smirks, flicking the metal board of the chart lying at the foot of Robert's bed with her finger so that it constantly clangs against itself.

Not in the mood to get into yet another battle with his boyfriend's teenage sister, Robert grits his teeth at the sound and removes the mask to speak, “No. Just got short of breath, that's all. Paddy panicked, like usual.”

Aaron snorts, seeing right through him because Paddy probably told him everything on the phone. “Overdid it with the run, more like, and _collapsed_. You don't have anything to prove y'know. S'not worth killing yourself over. Or at least take your flippin' phone next time.”

“It was stupid of me not to, I agree, but Aaron. All I wanted was to go for a run.”

“Yeah, with your dodgy lung,”

Now standing by the window, opening and closing the small blind, Liv whirls round. “I thought you said the first time we met that you don't smoke? Hypocrite!” she exclaims, outraged.

“Hey, Liv, don't - ” Aaron starts, awkward about bringing up the past when they've tried so hard to move on.

“I _don't_ smoke,” Robert answers loudly over him, determined to make her think twice. “But if you must know, I was shot, last year. I'm fine now.” He glances up at Aaron, more sheepish. “Well, so I thought.”

“What did the doc say?”

“It was a secondary pneumo-something. Pneumothorax? Air leaked into my chest from a hole in my lung. It sounds worse than it is. Apparently it can happen to even the healthiest people, but the surgery I had on this side when I got shot makes me more likely to get it. Don't say it!” he raises a hand to Aaron's look of _I told you so_. “I'll ease off the crazy exercise regime for another couple of months, I promise. Wasn't even going that hard.” 

Glancing at Liv, Aaron walks his fingers onto the bed, covers Robert's hand with his own and squeezes gently as they share a shy smile.

“You're weaker than I thought then.” Liv says, as she strolls towards them, stopping at the other side of Robert's bed. She sits back into her hip and folds her arms, tilting her head, considering. “So, you really got shot? With, like, a gun?”

Robert's face twists sarcastically, but he winces as his expression pulls at the mottled scratches across his cheek. He must have scraped it when he hit the deck. He holds onto the oxygen mask and takes a few deep breaths to make her wait. After a minute, he nods and pulls up his t-shirt to show her his scar. Once he was conscious, he'd put his t-shirt back on with a nod from the doctor that the hole – a valve made entirely of his own damaged tissue – in his lung would repair itself with a few days rest. He and Aaron know his scar is bigger than the round wound of a gunshot because of the emergency surgery, but Liv doesn't and she looks a mixture of surprised that he's telling the truth, impressed and maybe even a little bit scared.

“Wow.” she breathes then blinks and catches herself with a tiny frown, “Um - I mean - You must've been horrible for someone to do that to you.”

Robert sees his chance and looks up to Aaron before he boasts slyly, “Oh yeah. And don't you forget it, yeah?”

Aaron rolls his eyes at their behaviour. Only in the dead of night will he silently admit that through all the shit with Gordon, he'd kind of missed Robert being ridiculous and arrogant. It was inexplicably part of why he loved him.

“Come on, it'll be boring for you to hang around here. I'll phone your mum to pick you up.” he declares.

“See ya later, old man.” Liv drawls, wiggling her fingers in a less than friendly wave.

Robert's growl under his breath is caught by Aaron's mouth suddenly on his in a surprise kiss and he feels the energy vibrate between them like always, like Aaron had been wanting to do that from the moment he crashed into the room. Maybe he's waiting for Robert to tell him that he can do stuff like that now because Robert hasn't got a problem with it at all. 

He licks his lips and sinks down comfortably into bed as Aaron leads Liv out the door with a hand on her shoulder, looking back at Robert with a small smile. Seeing Aaron smile like that, after so many tears, makes him remember what really matters and he closes his eyes with a pleased sigh.

\----

Following Aaron's visit and a nap yesterday, Robert reluctantly decided that he'd better let Victoria know what had happened. His sister and Diane had typically dropped everything to come see him, but he drew the line at their offer of going back to the Woolpack with them once he was discharged. That was still Aaron's domain and he wanted to keep things separate for the most part, until they were ready to properly move in to a place of their own. Staying over was a regular thing, although it was more at the flat than anywhere else, so at least they could be together without any untimely interruptions.

After spending the night in hospital for observation and picked up by Aaron in his car, Robert opens the door to his flat with Aaron in tow, continuing their conversation from the journey.

“Still can't believe you told Liv you got shot.”

Robert throws his light overnight bag onto his dark blue sofa and shrugs out of his brown coat. Aaron calls it his 'nerd' coat. “I nearly told her who ordered the hit on me an' all,”

“You wouldn't...” At his silence, Aaron turns around to face him, shocked. “Robert! It would've terrified her!”

“Exactly!” he chuckles, as he slides his arms around Aaron's waist to placate him. “Ah relax, I'm just joking. That's why I said I _nearly_ told her. She's a handful, but I am a big brother too, remember? I know she's a good kid really. Mouthy, but her heart's in the right place. In fact, do you know anyone else who'd fit that description?”

“Yeah, you.” he shoots back, grumpy.

“And that's why we work. Come on, Aaron. Liv's not here. No interruptions...” he bends to teasingly kiss Aaron's neck, but stops when he remains uninterested in his arms and straightens up again, “Look, if it'll make you happy, she can come round here with you any time she wants, but right now, we're alone and I really want to pick up where we left off...hm?”

This time, he kisses Aaron on the mouth, releasing a pleased little hum as he feels him respond, but it's short lived as he pushes on Robert's broad shoulders a moment later and wriggles away.

“Actually, I should get to the scrapyard. With Adam and Vic gone on their travels, it's all up to me. _No_ , shut up.” he adds emphatically, reading Robert's mind of offering to help in the same way he did when Aaron went to Ireland.

“I didn't say anything!”

“Makes a change, eh? You need to rest.” Aaron gestures to the stairs. “Go on, get to bed.”

Robert gives him a smile through biting his lip, watching his mouth, then raises his gaze, a sultry look in his eyes. The sudden show of bossiness makes his stomach all a-flutter and his voice soft as he lifts a hand to salute. “Yes, sir.”

Aaron sighs heavily from behind him and he can hear him moving around as he slowly climbs the stairs. The stairs run up one side of the flat with a fancy walkway above the open plan living room and kitchen area, all wood and glass and steel, so Robert is able to stop and look over the railing. It's far from his ideal home, having grown up on a farm and spent months in Keeper's with Victoria and Adam, but he's not going to stay here forever. He hopes its temporary and there'll come a time when he _and Aaron_ look for something altogether more cosy and a reflection of them both. 

On the stairs, Robert is pulled out of his thoughts by Aaron noisily digging around in his kitchen drawers. He has his back to Robert as he finds a neon Post-It, clearly scribbles a note and places it in front of the water jug on the counter. He leaves soon after and Robert debates having a nap first, even interrupting himself with a long yawn, before his usual stubborn curiosity gets the better of him and he goes to investigate. He tries not to run down the stairs, knowing that he should probably take it easy for a day or two until the faint (possibly entirely phantom) ache in his chest disappears. As suspected, Aaron's written something for him next to the water and a pack of painkillers. It's the kind of outwardly reluctant, thoughtful gesture he's come to know is Aaron's speciality, including how the note has the subtext of warning Robert not to big a deal out of it. In carelessly scrappy scrawl, it reads:

 _You're a pain in the arse. Use these. x_

Robert looks out the window, internally giddy over the printed kiss, something they very rarely do. He knows that Aaron must've been scared when he got that phone call, after he eventually let it slip to Robert that he'd tried to help him the night he was shot. Knowing he wasn't there a few days ago was probably still playing on his mind, so Robert pulls his phone from his pocket to text him immediately.

 **To: Aaron**  
_Thanks, but...don't you mean pain in YOUR arse? Or MINE? I don't mind which. ;) x_

He figures a simple thank you and a joke is best.

When Aaron returns to check on him under the pretence of raiding his fridge for lunch, just one look at his face tells a grinning Robert what he thinks of his awful attempt at humour.

He doesn't get an answer either.

\----

Except it doesn't leave Robert's head.

With his collapse and his recovery getting in the way, he's now been deprived of sex with Aaron for five days and it's quickly driving him insane. Of course they've gone longer without even speaking to each other when they had their issues, but that's not a problem anymore. They're an official, out couple for God's sake and they should be at it like rabbits, but Aaron seems adamant to keep him at arm's length. The worst thing is, Robert knows it's just because he wants him healthy and taken care of and also that he's teasing. It wasn't like Robert always had the power in their relationship. Aaron could dangle a carrot like the best of them.

He bites his lip to stop his giggle at the double entendre. Day three of the ban and he and Aaron are currently in the Woolpack. Robert needed to get out of his flat after suffering through Aaron gnawing on the end of his pen as he looked at ads in the Hotten Courier detailing readers' potential for scrap, so he'd suggested the pub because at least they could eat and there was plenty of alcohol he could drown in. He'd been a tad afraid that Aaron would say no to him drinking, but thankfully he wasn't that clucky and, even if he was, over his dead body would he show it quite that much.

Robert looks over his shoulder towards where Aaron is standing at the bar, having a quick chat with Chas as she pulls their pints and a surge of affection runs through him as he sees him smile at something she says. Bashful has always been a good look on him and that's when Robert decides to take back control of the situation. He's done with being accommodating. He feels fine!

He lets his gaze travel casually down Aaron's body, covered in his usual layers but the frisson that he knows what's underneath lights him up on the inside as Chas catches him blatantly eyeing up her son. It's a force of habit that he nearly looks away being caught red handed by her, but he stays determined as she says something else to Aaron and tips her chin at Robert. Aaron rolls his eyes in response to his answering smirk then finally comes back to their booth with their drinks.

“I know we're all free an' that now, but can you not eye me up in front of me mum?” he says, as he slides in beside Robert, using his exasperation as a cover to hide his blushes. “She's embarrassin' enough, without you giving her more reason,”

Robert's smirk widens as he nudges Aaron with his elbow and he's hit with the familiarity of riling each other up as a form of verbal foreplay. “Aw, still afraid of what Mummy will say, eh?”

“No, shut up,” he replies quickly, taking a sip of his drink. “But you would be too, if Diane was saying stuff about your sex life,”

“You told her?!”

“What do you take me for? Of course I didn't!” he hisses, before lowering his voice with a shifty look up at the bar. Thankfully, Chas isn't eyeballing, busy with other customers. “No, she just made a crack about how you look like a man stuck in a desert who hasn't a drink of water in days or summat, I don't know, I don't want to think about it,”

Robert suppresses his smile at Aaron's dramatic shudder and nods sagely instead, casually resting his arm on the back of the booth and turning his body towards Aaron's. “Okay, it's a cliché metaphor, but...she's not wrong, is she?”

“I told ya I don't want to think about it,” he warns tightly, gulping at his drink.

“Fine,” Robert chuckles and briefly rubs at the nape of Aaron's neck in apology, his other hand glancing off his wrist to get him to slow down. And he's the one who thought he needed the alcohol! “Mind if I do?”

“Think about my mum thinking about us doin' it?”

Robert's mouth falls open, horrified, and he tries to splutter words before he spots Aaron's sideways look and his devious little smirk. “God, I love you.” he breathes, shuffling closer until his bent knee is pressed against the side of Aaron's and he leans in to his ear. “Makes me want you all the more. Come on, please, Aaron. Let's go back to my place. I'm dying here.”

“You're not dying.” he scoffs, but they can't help blink at each other for a second, remembering that _he almost did_ last year. He must see something real there though because his shoulders relax and he adds, “Alright, your flirting is terrible, in fact it's desperate, but as long as you're sure you're okay - ”

“ - I am, I swear,”

“ - And you're not lying to me about that then, yeah, let's get outta here.”

Robert blinks up at Aaron standing and finishing the last of his drink then swiftly follows suit, suddenly jittery with excitement. They've got too many clothes on and he needs to be home _now_ , needs to feel Aaron's skin against his because they're finally going to get to have that Saturday in bed he's been mourning since his stupid collapse. 

“But – but what about lunch?” Chas calls as they open the door, Robert's hand hovering near Aaron's back like he's going to shove him out. 

“Something came up.” he quips, wiggling his eyebrows.

Aaron frowns deeply and hits him on the undamaged side of his chest a lot softer than he usually would, but leaves his mother to deal with the innuendo. As they emerge outside, Robert squeezes his waist then steps away to push his hands into his jeans pockets, a silly grin on his face. Even after all this time, he loves getting his own way and Aaron's quickly on his wavelength, the sexual tension building as they power walk back to Robert's flat.

He unlocks the door with Aaron in front of him, nuzzles sweet kisses into his neck the way he knows he loves and puts his hand against the door to stop him from opening it just yet. Boxed in on one side, Aaron turns around and Robert steps even closer so that his height difference is more apparent with his looming, eyes on Aaron's mouth.

“Does this count as a public display?”

“Are we outside?” he retorts, “Then, yeah.”

Robert can feel his breath on his face and the thump of his heart through his hoodie as he waits for the last possible second in the proximity until he opens the door and shoves Aaron inside. He loudly kicks the door closed with his foot and catches Aaron's sleeve before he can stumble backwards, their lips meeting hungrily because this can go somewhere at last. He unzips Aaron's hoodie and leads him towards the staircase as his wild side already lets it be known that he wouldn't mind going at it down here, but practical wins out, with the silent compromise that they could always do that for round two.

“Y'know, this takes me back,” he says breathlessly, breaking another long kiss to pull off his thin jumper and leave it on the floor. “To the early days, meeting in the middle of the afternoon anywhere and everywhere just so we could have sex,”

Aaron stops on the first step. “Except now we regularly do it in a bed and even my own mother knows it,”

They are _so_ going to have sex in the kitchen later.

Robert resists reminding him that she knew about them way back when too and, with a playful growl, swats him on the arse to hurry him up the stairs, talking done. He manages to hop out of his jeans by the time he reaches his bedroom, Aaron ahead of him, and already in his underwear. It still takes Robert's breath away, marvelling at the hints that he's so utterly comfortable with him, baring his physical scars with a little more confidence. With how he got his, Robert surprises himself sometimes that he's not self-conscious of his own, realising that it's nothing compared to the emotional pain of Aaron's but no less significant. Gone is the bullet hole in the left side of his chest to be replaced with a neat, slightly raised surgical line, a mark to save to his life. His vanity thanks that they didn't have to make it worst by opening him up again because of his collapse and his empathy sees him tackle Aaron to the bed, his fingers already fitting to his waist. They kiss deeply and thoroughly, hard and wanting pressed against one another until Robert's thumb grazes a tiny scar under Aaron's collarbone and he breaks their lip-lock.

He rests their foreheads together, already panting. “Who's doing the honours then?”

He seems to actually mull it over this time, his hands curled around Robert's shoulders. “I don't fancy you collapsing again, so why don't you just lie back and think of England, eh?”

With a skilfully lithe move, he flips them over so that Robert is suddenly beneath him. He swallows hard, staring up into his face. They forgot to shut the curtains so every beam of weak grey light seems attracted to Aaron on top of him, washing him out except his blazing blue eyes, sharp and knowing. He exhales as Aaron's grip on his biceps, pressed flat to the bed, tightens then releases altogether in surprise as Robert nods slowly.

“You sure? I wasn't really being serious,” he forces a laugh, eyes round, “You can do me if you like, I don't - ”

Robert sits up with him still sat astride his lap and drops a kiss to his ribs, hugging him close. “Classy as always,” he interrupts, grinning, “But it's not like I've never done it before,”

“I know that, it's just - ”

“ - It's been a while, hmm. But you're right.”

Aaron raises an eyebrow. “I am?”

“Yeah, the less I do, the better,” he jokes, laying back with his hands behind his head.

“If you thought I was gonna go easy on you,” Aaron threatens, taking off his underwear and throwing it at Robert's smug face.

“Oh, wouldn't dream of it. Bring it on.”

Aaron shakes his head and yanks Robert's boxers down his long legs as Robert twists towards his bedside table and opens up the top. In the style of a wooden crate with a lid, it was something that came with decor of the flat, but he figured he might as well make use of it and he blindly tosses the lube over his shoulder and keeps the condoms on the crate. He turns back to see the lube has landed on the bed and Aaron fixing him with a look that lets him know he knew he'd try and aim for him.

“You're an idiot,” he grumbles.

“Come on, you can't resist me,”

“Your arrogance is huge,”

“So's something else - _ow_!” he cries, as Aaron kneels to smack him upside the head. “Remember what I said! Verbal not physical violence is my thing, Aaron!”

It dissolves into an open palm fight, wrestling and laughing and making a mess of the bed until Robert fakes a pain in his chest and he tugs Aaron on top of him in the pause, trapping him between his thighs. Distraction over with, they fall into the feel of each other's bodies once more and Aaron tries his best to stay close as he wiggles a hand between them. Ordinarily, Robert would be the last person to say no to Aaron sucking his cock but he feels as if he's on the brink already and Aaron's talented mouth would surely tip him over. Just the thought of beard burn against his groin and thighs is enough to have him worried and he can't help his full body shiver as Aaron reads him like a book and casually flickers dry fingers between his cheeks. 

"Alright?"

His eyes are shut, just for a moment, just so he can get a handle on himself. “Yeah, s'just. A lot.”

“Always is,” Aaron answers, matter of fact but in a soft tone, kissing him to soothe the jumpiness in his bones. “But that's what makes it amazing. I want you so much, y'know that, yeah?”

Robert does but the sincerity causes a somersault in his stomach and he presses a finger to one of Aaron's scars as Aaron's own trail down wet. He feels his cock twitch and their tongues stroke whilst he tries to relax and push through the flashes of memory that punch him between the eyes with every in and out of Aaron's fingers opening him up. He remembers his and Chrissie's bed at Home Farm, of not being able to look at Aaron as he chose to kneel away from him on all fours, afraid of what Aaron might see cross his face when they did this together. They had time, Robert had a need and Aaron said yes. He was never going to forget that he said yes.

Aaron takes the hint of Robert fidgeting impatiently after the cursory prep time allowed to withdraw. "Do you think, y'know, you're ready?”

Robert stops clutching at his neck long enough to cup his face in his big hands instead and murmur a response into his mouth, thumbing at his beard and inviting him into the cradle of his thighs. He bites his lip and thrusts up, rubbing his dripping cock against Aaron's stomach to show just how ready he feels, gaining back some of his usual mischief with a clearer head. It's like he can't think whenever Aaron's tongue and fingers and cock are inside him, arousal an all-consuming idea becoming reality. The loss of control sits uncomfortably, but the intimacy, how gladly Aaron will reciprocate, is worth it.

As Aaron reaches for the condom and a extra generous slick of lube, he starts to roll over but a hand on his pale, freckled hip stops him.

“Wait. Don't do that.” Aaron says, deliciously gruff and he clears his throat awkwardly, like he's nervous of what his reply will be. “I wanna see your ugly mug, if ya don't mind.”

It hadn't even occurred to him to do this eye to eye, but Robert agrees, his breath coming out shaky as Aaron slides his arms confidently under his legs and steadily sinks inside him. It's a struggle, to shut off his mind and give his body over in this way, but Aaron's weight and smell and gut-wrenching caution ground him enough that soon they're starting a rhythm, Robert meeting him thrust for thrust. He tugs at Aaron's hair, sticky gel on his fingertips, and a shocked whimper falls from his mouth when Aaron's touch skims across his scar. His strokes move from curious to tender, as if he's mapping out the journey of how they got here all over again. Despite never remembering the shooting itself, his collapse brought Robert somewhat closer to understanding what it must've been like to see him like that and he hears his blood thump loudly in his ears in answer, a fact of which he's never been more grateful for.

And there's Aaron's voice, echoing in his head. “Hey. Hey, Robert. Christ. Come back to me.”

He blinks, forcing himself back into the present with a gasp and feels a pain in his chest that isn't anything other than love. He was loving him through the events of the last few months and even before that and he can feel it in the way Aaron moves, both of them locked together, that they're definitely on the same page.

“God, you're beautiful,” Aaron whispers into his ear and Robert groans because he was close to just confessing something like that himself. 

“That's my line,” he pants, offering a wobbly smile as his bed creaks dangerously.

“Tough. Get your own.”

Robert ducks his head to kiss his warm neck and walks his fingers between the patchwork of scars on Aaron's skin, returning the reverence he showed his. “I love you.”

Suddenly, Aaron picks up the pace, rocking into Robert fast and hard, like he's on a chase and and Robert watches him get lost then surrender, muttering praise of how good he feels and how amazing he is. He hardens inside him just a touch more at the point of orgasm, filling him completely, and moans low and relieved as he comes, squeezing Robert's shoulder before he pulls out. He can tell all Aaron wants is to probably clean up then fall asleep, so it's to his credit that he props himself up on his side and reaches for Robert's cock. 

“Never leave you hanging, do I?” he grins, putting his thigh over Robert's knee to keep him spread open. He wanks him quick and messy and nods for Robert to take over and do it just the way he likes so that he's free to wriggle two fingers back into him. “I missed this,” he admits, sucking at the hinge of Robert's jaw, bruising him dark and unmistakable, “So, you better come before I get my mouth on you and make you wait,”

“I definitely love you,” he half laughs, gasping, seeing sparks from Aaron's clever, nimble fingers.

“Yeah? How about...I'll rim you so good you'll see stars? Or,” he says, his voice like shivery background noise to Robert's desperate need to come. “I'll let you fuck me bare.”

Robert bites down on his lip so hard it hurts and shakes as his come splashes his sweaty, firm chest heaving for breath and the last of it drips over his knuckles. He feels red in the face and not just from exertion and what makes it worse is that Aaron can tell. He feels him drops a kiss to his stained chest, inches from his scar, and eases onto his back with a happy sigh. Robert has to ask.

“How did you know?”

“You're about as subtle as a brick at the best of times,” he smiles, eyes crinkling, “but I saw how you were eyeing those rubbers, like you didn't want me to bother.”

Robert swallows, dry throat. “And would you – would you want that? For either of us, I mean. I'm not – I'm not assuming.”

“Maybe,” he shrugs. “Not right now, I don't think, but we've got time.”

“Yeah. We do.” He knows it shows on his face, how much he loves this man but he really doesn't care. He'd give him the world because he's everything. 

“Hey, Robert?” He turns so he mirrors Aaron's position of laying on their sides, to show him that he's listening, their noses almost touching. He never thought he'd be happy that his arse is pleasantly sore and he's still thinking about it, ridiculously giddy, when Aaron rolls his eyes and says, “I love you too.”

Sated and with a gorgeous man treating him to the L word after sex (albeit in typical Aaron fashion), it's hard for Robert to think that life can get much better than this.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, lovelies x
> 
> I'm on tumblr at [theprincessed](http://www.theprincessed.tumblr.com). :)


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